Commutator for electrical apparatus



(No Model.)

O GUPEOK & W. H. CHAPMAN GOMMUTATOR FOR ELEGTRIGAL APPARATUS.

No. 267,711. Patented Nov; 21, I882 I Fig. 3,

. Figl I t Witnesses.- 2%;t/2rs: wiw

K v by flttonwy.

UNITED STATES CHARLES C. PECK AND WILLIAM H. CHAPMAN, OF MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT.

COMMUTATOR FOR ELECTRlCAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,711,-dated November 21, 1882.

Application tiled Apr-i121, 1582.

To all whom rt may concern Be it known that we, CHARLES C. PEOK and WILLIAM H. CHAPMAN, ot' Middlebury, in the county of Addison and State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful Oommutator for Electrical Apparatus, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification.

()ur invention relates to a new and improved to commutator applicable to various electrical machines or apparatus, and has for its object the production of a novel device, whereby an electric current may be stopped or started,a current may he turned or switched from one course to another, or a current maybe reversed,

said invention being partially described in anotherapplication filed by its February 17, 1882, and numbered 52,929, of which this application is in part a division.

Our invention consists of one or more leatsprings, held at their opposite ends in two or more elastic or spring supports, and adapted to be curved or bent alternately in opposite directions by the pressure otsaid spring-supports, so as to make or break electrical connection at proper times with two or more contact points or surfaces.

It further consists in the combination of one or more leaf-springs, two or more springsup- 0 ports, two or more contact-surfaces, all as above described, and an electro-magnet and armature, said armature being connected to the spring-supports and adapted to impart to them an intermittent reciprocating motion, as

will be further described.

It, further consists of two leafisprings, each held at its opposite ends in apair of springsupports and adapted to be bent alternately in opposite directions by the pressure of said supports, two or more contact-surfaces adapted to make or break electrical connection with said leaf-springs, and a link or piece of guttapercha or other suitable insulating material connecting the two leaf-springs, to cause them 5 both to move at the same time, so that both will be bent in the same direction.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of our improved commutator, employing one leaf-spring, and adapted for making or breaking the circuit or changing the course of an electric current. Fi 2 is an elevation of our commutator, employing two (No model.)

springs, and adapted for reversing the current. Fig. 3 is a. partial section of the same on line 00 00 on Fig. 2. Fig. at is an elevation of one of the leaf-springs; and Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively an elevation and end view of the end of one of the springsupports.

In Fig. 1, A is the leaf-spring, made of thin sheet metal, and having riveted to its center a small piece of platinum. a, to serve as a contact-point. The spring A is notched at its ends, and isjfitted tonotches in the cndsof the springsupports B B, by which it is held and bent or curved in one direction or the other by the tendency of the ends of the supports B B to spi ing toward each other, thus exerting a pressure upon the ends of the spring A and bringor other of the contact-pieces U and I). which are each faced with a piece of platiuuin, b. The supports 15 B are each secured at one end to an armature, E, they being properly insulated therefrom, which armature may be alternately attracted toward the poles of an electro-ma; net, F, or moved in the opposite direction by the tension of the spring 0, secured at one end to the armature E and at its opposite end to a suitable fixed point. a

in Fig. 1 the contact-pieces G and Dare supposed to be stationary, and the spring A is shown as being in contact with the piece D. It, now, the spring 0 acts to move the armature E and supports B B away trom the magnet F,thespringAwilibe'straightened,forcing the ends ot thersupports B B outward, when a slightturther movement will cause the spring A to bend in the opposite direction until it comes in contact with the piece 0. It, now, the magnet F act to attract the armature E, the reverse motion will take pla and the spring A will again be brought in contact with the piece D. Three wires, d, c, andf, adapted to convey an electric current, maybe connected respectively with one of the supports B, the piece U, and the piece D. \Vith the parts in the positions shown in the drawings, a current of electricity coming through the wire (I will pass through the support B, spring A, piece D, and wire f. To change the course of the current the spring A is brought in contact with the piece 0 in the manner previously descrihed,and the current will then pass through the wire cl, support B, spring A, piece 0, and

ing the platinum point a in contact with one wire 0. It is obvious that either of the pieces U or D may be removed, and this device used for simply opening and closing the circuit by making or breaking contact with either of the pieces O or D.

in Figs. 2 and 3 is illustrated our commutator for reversing the current.

A and A are two leaf-springs, each held in a pair of spring-supports, B B or B B, which are secured to a tixed piece, G, but are insulated from each other.

U, G, and D are contact-pieces for making connection with the springs A A. They are t'aced with platinum I), and the springs A A are also provided with platinum points a as before described. Thecontact-surfaces U and 0 should be in one piece, which may be bent into a U shape, or theyshould beconnected by a wire, asshown.

H is a piece oi gutta-percha or other suitable insulating material, titted upon the spring A, and surrounding loosely the spring it, its object being to connect said springs, so that they will always move together and make or break contact at the same instant. The piece H is shown as being provided with a knob or handle, which may he pulled or pressed by the fingers to move the springs A Afrom one position to the other.

Let It" represent a wire connecting the springsupports B and i), Z a wire connectingone pole ot a battery or other generator of electricity with the contact-piece t), and m a wire connecting the opposite pole with the contact-piece D. A current coming from one pole of the battery through the wire l will pass through the coir tactpiece 0, spring A, support B, wire 7:, support 15, spring A, contact-piece D, and thence over ire m to the opposite pole of the battery. If it is desired to make thecurrent pass in the reverse li irection through the wire It, the springs Aantl A are moved to their opposite positions, the"spring A coming in con-tact with the piece Dand the spring A comingin contact with the piece 0. The current, will then pass from the wire I through the contact piece G 0, spring A, support B, wire it, support B, spring A,

contactpiece D, and wire in to the battery.

This device is applicable to a great number of different electrical machines where it is desired to reverse the current, it. being only necessary, in order to apply it, to place the machine in the circuit of the wire it.

It is evident that instead of imparting mo tion to the spring supports, as shown in Fig. 1, or directly to the springs, as in Fig. 2, the motion may be imparted to the contact-pieces themselves and the result will be the same, provided the relative motion is not changed 5 also, that motion may be derived from any convenient source of power.

Vthat we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ot' the United States, is as follows:

1. A commutator composed of one or more leaf-springs held at their ends in supports adapted to press upon the ends of said springs to cause them to assume a curved or elliptic form, two or more contaet-sui faces, and means of reversing the curve. ol" said springs to make and break contact with said surfaces, substantially as described.

2. A commutator composed of one or tnore leat'- springs held at their ends lll supports adapted to press upon the ends oi" said springs to eause them to assume a curved or elliptic form, and two or more contact-surl'aces, in comlnnation with an electro magnet and its armature, all adapted to operate substantially as desrribed.

3. A commutator composed of two leatsprings held at their ends in suppoits adapted to press upon the ends oi" said springs to cause them to assume a curved or elliptic torn], two or more contact points orsurtaces, and a piece of guttapercha or other suitable insulating material connecting said springs, substantially as and for the purposes described.

in testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, ill the presence ol" 

